Today, Bridgestone Americas consists of an international family of enterprises with 52 production facilities and 50,000 teammates.
The Firestone brand has won more Indianapolis 500® races than all of the other tire brands combined.
Firestone and Bridgestone brand tires come as original equipment on more than 200 different car and light truck models sold in the United States and Canada.
Bridgestone Americas implemented ISO 14001, the International standard for Environmental Management Systems, at 24 major facilities across the Americas before 2000. As a result, Bridgestone Corporation, including Bridgestone Americas and Bridgestone Europe, leads the tire and rubber industry (and many other industries) globally regarding ISO 14001 certification. Today, 52 Bridgestone Americas facilities are ISO 14001 certified. The goal is to certify new facilities within two years of construction or acquisition.
Bridgestone Americas has a comprehensive safety education project that includes: Think Before You Drive, an exciting new initiative by Bridgestone Americas to bring all of our driver safety educations programs together in one central place; Safety Scholars, a video contest where students submit creative and compelling videos on various driver safety issues for a chance to win a $5,000 scholarship; sponsorship of Driver’s Edge, the nationally recognized teen driver education program; an innovative tire safety Web site, www.tiresafety.com in English, Spanish and French; and driver and tire safety education outreach efforts that encourage students to learn their “M.A.R.I.O.S.” (Mario Andretti’s Real Information on Safety).
Bridgestone Americas maintains an established and strong presence in Latin America through the subsidiaries that make up the Latin American Tire division (BATO LA), which is part of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. BATO LA, through seven manufacturing and sales subsidiaries, operates six tire production plants — two in Brazil, and one each in Argentina, Costa Rica, Mexico and Venezuela — along with proving grounds in Acuña, Mexico, and São Pedro, Brazil.
Firestone Building Products Company, LLC (FSBP) manufactures single-ply and asphalt-based roofing membranes, polyiso insulation and a full line of roofing accessories. In addition, it launched the new ReflexEON (a TPO roofing membrane) in 2005.
In 2006, Firestone Natural Rubber Company, LLC formalized a program offering space on its ships for relief goods and other donated cargo from qualified charitable organizations to help rebuild Liberia. Since the program was formalized, more than 75 shipments have fulfilled the program’s approval requirements and been scheduled for shipping to the port of Monrovia. Estimates provided by the humanitarian organizations put the value of this donated cargo at more than $2.5 million USD. The company, which employs approximately 6,000 people in Liberia, operates an 118,000-acre (nearly 200 square miles) rubber growing and processing facility.
Firestone Industrial Products Company, LLC (FSIP) has grown from a single plant in 1934, to the world’s largest manufacturer of air springs.
Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC (BSRO) operates the largest number of company-owned automotive retail generalist stores in the world — more than 2,000 consumer and commercial vehicle service and tire locations in United States. BSRO teammates participate in a number of community partnerships, supporting the activities of various organizations.
For nearly 40 years, Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC’s (BSRO) Firestone Complete Auto Care™ locations around the United States have conducted free, hands-on Car Care Academies for consumers, businesses, professional organizations and community groups. These interactive workshops educate drivers about the basics of vehicle maintenance, safety and saving money at the gas pump.
As part of Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC’s (BSRO) wide-ranging environmental initiatives, Firestone Complete Auto Care™ was the first in the automotive service industry to commit to using steel wheel weights instead of traditional lead wheel weights. Store locations in greater Portland, Ore., offer environmentally friendly oil change services using a recycled oil product. Throughout the country, BSRO store locations recycle tires, car batteries, oil and oil filters, antifreeze, Freon and many other automotive products.
The Bridgestone Americas Trust Fund donated more than $2.4 million in 2009 to deserving charities and non-profits across the United States. The Trust Fund contributes millions annually to 501(c)(3) organizations in support of causes that champion children’s issues, education, the environment and conservation.
Since 1990, the Wildlife Habitat Council (WHC) has recognized companies with outstanding wildlife habitat management and environmental education programs. Bridgestone Americas currently has seven sites certified as a WHC Wildlife at WorkSM and/or Corporate Lands for LearningSM location. The facilities include: Aiken County, S.C., consumer tire manufacturing plant, part of Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations (BATO); Kingstree, S.C., thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) single-ply roofing systems manufacturing plant, part of Firestone Building Products Company, LLC (FSBP); Prescott, Ark., EPDM high-performance synthetic rubber roofing systems manufacturing plant, part of FSBP; Warren County, Tenn., commercial tire manufacturing plant, part of BATO; Wellford, S.C., thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) single-ply roofing systems manufacturing plant, part of FSBP; Wilson, N.C., consumer tire manufacturing plant, part of BATO; and Woodlawn, Md., area, part of Bridgestone Americas, Inc., Wildlife at Work recertification.
Since 1990, Bridgestone Americas has received supplier quality awards from Honda of America; Subaru; General Motors; Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.; Auto Alliance International, Inc.; New United Motor Manufacturing Inc.; Freightliner Corp.; Ford Motor Co.; Caterpillar Inc.; Cleveland Cliffs, Inc.; Saturn Corp.; Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A, Inc.; PACCAR Inc.; John Deere; Peter Kiewit Sons, Inc.; and Sears Canada Inc.
The Bridgestone brand is the Official Tire of the National Football League, National Hockey League, PGA TOUR and the World Golf Championships–Bridgestone Invitational played at the Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio. The Firestone brand is the Official Tire of Major League Baseball and has a long tradition of high-profile sports sponsorships tied to racing, including the Official Tire of the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race®, as well as the IZOD IndyCar® Series and IndyPro Series. The Bridgestone brand also has local and regional sponsorships with properties such as the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators, which play at the Bridgestone Arena.
